Best Practices in the Question Formulation Technique Teachers

+ Best Practices in the Question Formulation Technique Teachers College Columbia University August 15, 2017 Dan Rothstein | Andrew Minigan | Sarah Westbrook The Right Question Institute

+ Acknowledgments We are deeply grateful to the Sir John Templeton Foundation and The Hummingbird Fund for their generous support of the Million Classrooms Campaign. We thank Andrew Ahn and Caitlin Thomas, TR@TC, for all the work that they have done to make today’s seminar possible. We are grateful also to Luz Santana, Siyi Chu, Katherine Cabral, David Shin, and Rachel Sokolov for extensive work on planning and logistics behind the scenes of this seminar. #QFTCon #QFT

+ Who is in the room? #QFTCon #QFT

+ Welcome and Community Building We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place For the first time. --T. S. Eliot #QFTCon #QFT

+ Today’s Agenda 1) Welcome 2) Introduction to the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) 3) Unpacking the QFT & Classroom Examples 4) Preview of a QFT Lesson Planning Workbook 5) Art and Science of the QFT & Facilitation Principles 6) Lunch (on your own) 7) Using the QFT to Engage Learners of All Ages 8) Reflection, Evaluation, & Next Steps #QFTCon #QFT

+ To Access Today’s Materials: http: //rightquestion. org/educators/ seminar-resources/ The Right Question Institute offers materials through a Creative Commons License and we encourage you to make use of and/or share this resource. Please reference the Right Question Institute and rightquestion. org as the source on any materials you use.

+ We’re Tweeting… @Right. Question @Rothstein. Dan #QFTCON #QFT

+ LAWRENCE, MA, 1990 “We don’t go to the school because we don’t even know what to ask. ”

+ "There is no learning without having to pose a question. " - Richard Feynman Nobel-Prizewinning physicist

School-Family Partnership Innovation Voter Engagement Health Care

“We must teach students how to think in questions, how to manage ignorance. ” - Stuart Firestein Chairman of the Department of Biology at Columbia University

+ College Presidents on What Students Should Learn in College “The primary skills should be analytical skills of interpretation and inquiry. In other words, know how to frame a question. ” - Leon Botstein, President of Bard College “…the best we can do for students is have them ask the right questions. ” - Nancy Cantor, Chancellor of University of Illinois The New York Times, August 4, 2002

+ Yet…only 27%of students believe college taught them to ask their own questions Alison Head, Project Information Literacy at University of Washington, 2016

+ But, the problem begins long before college. . .

+ Percentage of Basic Skill Attainment Sources http: //nces. ed. gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main 2009/2011455. pdf http: //nces. ed. gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/main 2007/2008468. asp#section 1 Data on question-asking based on parent and teacher feedback

+ We can work together on changing the direction of that slope

+ We Are Not Alone 250, 000 educators using the strategy all over the world

+ What happens when students do learn to ask their own questions?

+ Research Confirms the Importance of Student Questioning Self-questioning (metacognitive strategy): n. Student formulation of their own questions is one of the most effective metacognitive strategies n. Engaging in pre-lesson self-questioning improved students rate of learning by nearly 50% (Hattie, p. 193) John Hattie Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement, 2008

+ Student Reflections “Just when you think you know all you need to know, you ask another question and discover how much more there is to learn. ” ~ Sixth-grade student, Palo Alto, CA “When you ask the question, you feel like it’s your job to get the answer. ” ~ High School student, Boston, MA

+ The Question Formulation Technique (QFT) Students learn to: § Produce their own questions § Improve their questions § Strategize on how to use their questions § Reflect on what they have learned and how they learned it #QFTCon #QFT

+ Experience the Question Formulation Technique (QFT)

+ Rules for Producing Questions 1. Ask as many questions as you can 2. Do not stop to answer, judge, or discuss 3. Write down every question exactly as stated 4. Change any statements into questions

+ Producing Questions 1. Ask Questions 2. Follow the Rules n Ask as many questions as you can. n Do not stop to answer, judge, or discuss. n Write down every question exactly as it was stated. n Change any statements into questions. 3. Number the Questions

+ Question Focus: Some students are not asking questions.

+ Categorizing Questions: Closed/ Open Definitions: n Closed-ended questions can be answered with a “yes” or “no” or with a one-word answer. n Open-ended questions require more explanation. Directions: Identify your questions as closedended or open-ended by marking them with a “C” or an “O. ”

+ Discussion Closed-ended Questions Advantages Disadvantages

+ Discussion Open-ended Questions Advantages Disadvantages

+ Improving Questions n Take one closed-ended question and change it into an open-ended question. Closed Open n Take one open-ended question and change it into a closed-ended question. Open Closed

+ Strategize: Prioritizing Questions Review your list of questions n Choose three questions you consider most important. n While prioritizing, think about your Question Focus: Some students are not asking questions. After prioritizing consider… n Why did you choose three questions? n Where are your priority questions in the sequence of your entire list of questions?

+ Strategize: Next Steps From priority questions to action plan In order to answer your priority questions: n What do you need to know? Information n What do you need to do? Tasks

+ Share 1. Questions you changed from open/closed 2. Your three priority questions and their numbers in your original sequence 3. Rationale for choosing priority questions 4. Next steps

+ Reflection n What did you learn? n How did you learn it? n What do you understand differently now about some students not asking questions?

+ Let’s peek inside the black box #QFTCon #QFT

+ “Modern science is a technique. . . it is a practice that allows us to learn reliable things about the world. [Science] is a technique that was waiting for people to discover it. ” - Steven Weinberg, Nobel laureate in Physics To Explain the World, 2015

+ 1) 2) The QFT, on one slide… Question Focus Produce Your Questions Follow the rules ü Number your questions ü 3) Improve Your Questions 1. Ask as many questions as you can 2. Do not stop to discuss, judge or answer 3. Record exactly as stated 4. Change statements into questions Categorize questions as Closed or Open-ended ü Change questions from one type to another ü 4) 5) 6) Prioritize Your Questions Share & Discuss Next Steps Reflect Closed-Ended: Answered with “yes, ” “no” or one word Open-Ended: Require longer explanation

+ Curiosity and Rigor Three thinking abilities with one process

+ Thinking in many different directions DIVERGENT THINKING

+ Narrowing Down, Focusing CONVERGENT THINKING

+ Thinking about Thinking METACOGNITIVE THINKING

+ Student Reflection “The way it made me feel was smart because I was asking good questions and giving good answers. ” -Boston 9 th grade remedial summer school student

+ Classroom Examples #QFTCon #QFT

+ Classroom Example: High School Teacher: Ling-Se Chesnakas, Boston, MA Topic: 12 th Grade Humanities unit on The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz Purpose: To help students generate questions for a Socratic Seminar at the end of the unit

+ The Question Formulation Technique (QFT) in Action http: //rightquestion. org/qft-in-action/

+ Classroom Example: Kindergarten Teacher: Jennifer Shaffer, Walkersville, MD Topic: Non-fiction literacy Purpose: To engage students prior to reading a nonfiction text about alligators

+ Question Focus

+ Student Questions 1. Is the alligator camouflaged? 2. Why do the babies have stripes? 3. Are those baby crocodiles? 4. Is it a mom or dad crocodile? 5. What is the green stuff? 6. Why are they in the water so low? 7. Where are they going? 8. Why are the baby alligator’s eyes white and the mom’s black? 9. Why are baby alligators on top of the momma alligator? 10. Why does momma or daddy have bumps on them?

+ Classroom Example: 4 th Grade Teacher: Deirdre Brotherson, Hooksett, NH Topic: Math unit on variables Purpose: To engage students at the start of a unit on variables

+ Question Focus 24 = + +

+ Student Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Why is the 24 first? What do the smiley faces mean? Why are there 3 smiley faces? How am I suppose to figure this out? Is the answer 12? Can I put any number for a smiley face? Do three faces mean something? Do the numbers have to be the same because the smiley faces are the same? What numbers will work here? 10. Does it mean 24 is a really happy number? Can we replace each smiley face with an 8? 12. Do any other numbers work? 13. Can we do this for any number? 14. Does it always have to be smiley faces? 15. Do we always have to use three things? 11.

+ Next Steps v Questions posted on classroom walls. v Students cross off the questions they answer during subsequent lessons. v Teacher returns to student questions at the end of the unit to discuss with students what they learned and what they still want to know.

+ Classroom Example: 7 th Grade Teacher: Nicole Bolduc, Ellington, CT Topic: “The Universe and Its Stars” Unit Purpose: To engage students in setting the learning agenda for the unit

+ Question Focus: Students watched videos of dramatic tide change in Cape Cod, Alaska, and Canada https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=m. AYXZz. KUAX 4 https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=53 EEDislo. ME

+ Selected Student Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Why does tide change? How is tide created? How does earth’s rotation cause the 12. tide to change? Does the sun have any part in the rise 13. 14. and retreat of tides? 15. Do tides occur because of the gravitational pull of the moon? Do the phases of the moon come into 16. play with the tides? 17. How do other planets affect it? Are the tides opposite in Florida and 18. Mexico? (b/c they share the Gulf of 19. Mexico) How come the tide changes greatly in 20. some places but not others? How far can high tide go? 21. How do tides affect people? Can tide change be a problem in the future? Does global warming affect tides? Where does the water go to? Does temperature have anything to do with tides? Does tilt have anything to do with tides? Does this happen on other planets? How do fish & wildlife survive when the tide is always changing? If the moon disappeared, would there be no tides? What would happen if the tide didn’t change? Why are tides important to the earth?

+ Prioritization n Prioritization Instructions: “Questions a scientist who is studying the environment and our world would ask. ” n Students from 5 different classes voted electronically on 10 priority questions n From the list of 10, they created one new priority question: “How and why does the water rise and recede in Alaska, Canada, and Cape Cod? ” n This became the guiding question for the unit

+ Next Steps: v Students post & organize questions on the Driving Questions Board and the “Parking Lot” v Students draw initial models and discuss, give feedback, and make predictions. v Students experience a series of scientific investigations around their priority questions. v After each investigation, students answer their questions on a digital platform and on post-its. v At the end of the unit the Driving Question board is “published” in poster format.

+ Next Steps

+ Student Reflections “We came in with roller coasters and came out with the knowledge of kinetic energy. Mrs. B. almost tricks us into learning science. ” “At the beginning of the year, we were asking questions because we had to get to a certain number. Now we ask questions because that’s what we’re actually going to learn about so what you ask really matters. ”

+ Classroom Example: High School Teacher: Daniel Fouts, Des Plaines, IL Topic: 12 th Grade Government unit on the American presidency at moments of crisis Purpose: To engage students at the start of the unit and to help students select a topic for an independent project

+ Question Focus “Nearly all men can handle adversity; but if you really want to test a man’s character, give him power. ” https: //www. loc. gov/pictures/item/96522529/

+ Student Questions 1. How does power challenge one’s morality? 2. Should everyone have some type of power? Does power make people corrupt? What if the person who is qualified for power doesn’t attain it? 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. What kind of man can handle adversity? What can power tell us about a man’s character? 11. How can power be obtained by adversity? 12. Why are some people affected by power differently? 13. If adversity supposedly makes you stronger, does that mean How is a man’s power tested? that power makes you What is considered power? weaker? What defines good character? How can we ensure that the good men get the power? 10.

+ Next Steps: v Each student selected l question from the class list to work on throughout the unit v Students answered their question using research and knowledge from the unit in a two-page reflection paper v Students shared their reflections in a class discussion on the final day of the unit

+ Final Words: Universal Relevance #QFTCon #QFT

In the Age of Google… “How should you respond when you get powerful new tools for finding answers? Think of harder questions. ” - Clive Thompson, Journalist and Technology Blogger

+ Occam’s Razor “ All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one. ” - William of Occam

+ The Skill of Asking Questions n For moving from ignorance as weakness to ignorance as opportunity n For arriving at better answers (and more questions) n For increasing engagement and ownership n For demonstrating inquiry in the classroom n. For a little more joy in a very demanding profession n And…

+ Democracy “We need to be taught to study rather than to believe, to inquire rather than to affirm. ” - Septima Clark See Chapter 6 on Septima Clark in Freedom Road: Adult Education of African Americans (Peterson, 1996).

+ Today’s Agenda 1) Welcome 2) Introduction to the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) 3) Unpacking the QFT & Classroom Examples 4) Preview of a QFT Lesson Planning Workbook 5) Art and Science of the QFT & Facilitation Principles 6) Lunch (on your own) 7) Using the QFT to Engage Learners of All Ages 8) Reflection, Evaluation, & Next Steps #QFTCon #QFT